Is The World a More Dangerous Place for Travelers?

Momondo Group + Skift

- Oct 06, 2016 5:29 pm

Skift Take

Despite perceived travel risks and uncertainty about the global state of affairs, travelers are growing savvier and more resilient than ever. There’s a new kind of geopolitically-aware traveler who remains determined to make the most of the world, live without fear to have deeper, more immersive experiences. Download this FREE report now!

Alison Baskerville, a former member of the British Armed Forces and a conflict photojournalist, has witnessed most of the armed conflicts of the last two decades including Kosovo, Northern Ireland, Afghanistan, Iraq, Gaza, Somaliland, and Mali—both through her work in the military and as a journalist. Baskerville, who is now also working as a security trainer, believes that the world is not necessarily a more risky or dangerous place, but people are simply more aware of the risks.

“The threat isn’t higher, it’s just more visible,” Baskerville said. “We all now have news apps on our mobile phones that keep sending notifications every five minutes about everything that goes wrong in the world.”

“In the last several years, there was a marginal rise in violence around the world. But in fact, the risks are merely changing nature and evolving,” she added. “After all, security is a personal responsibility. A little common sense, checking the warnings from the foreign offices of the government’s, monitoring social media for what’s actually going on and planning thoroughly can go a long way…”

Report Overview: The Rise of the Immersive Traveler in a Time of Global Uncertainty Even in troubling times, travel emerges as the remedy to break down social and cultural barriers between humans around the world. Immersive travelers—those actively seeking to explore and understand their surroundings and the people who live there—are painting a picture of a more open world that shuns isolationism and builds bridges instead of walls.